Overview

Party coolers, also known as jockey boxes, are a great way to keep the beer flowing. Jockey box coolers allow you to dispense keg beer anywhere, anytime without using electricity. Using CO2 for dispensing and cooling beer with ice and water, jockey boxes are the easy way to serve cold beer all day.

In a coil cooler, the beer is run through a length stainless steel coil that is covered with ice and water. The ice water coming in contact with the coil causes the coil to become cold, which in turn cools the beer running through the coil. The coils vary in length from 50’ to 120’ depending on the model of coil jockey box cooler. The advantage of a coil cooler over a cold plate cooler, is that the coils are longer and more flexible than the tubing in the cold plate.

Longer cooling coils mean greater coil surface area, thus allowing the beer a longer contact time in which to become cold. Therefore coil jockey box coolers are recommended over cold plate jockey box coolers when it is impossible to keep internal keg temperature colder then 55° F. With a 120’ coil cooler, beer can be continuously dispensed from the faucet at 36-38° F even if the keg is at room temperature.

Coil Capacities

50’ & 70’ Coils Use at small to medium events where a few beers are dispensed at a time. The faucet will be closed and the coil has time to recover between pours. 120’ Coils Use at large events and venues, i.e. stadiums, racetracks, etc. Perfect for events demanding continuous cold beer to be poured. These coils are known for non-stop pouring.

Coil Cooler Use Tips

It is recommended that the ice/water bath is maintained at 32°-33° F.

It’s important to replenish the ice in the bath and pour off excessive water to maintain the temperature.

The coil must be completely submerged in the ice/water bath. Exposed coil can lead to foamy beer.

In a cold plate jockey box cooler, the beer is run through an aluminum cold plate that is covered with ice. The ice coming in contact with the plate causes the plate to become cold, which in turn cools the beer as it runs through the cold aluminum plate. It is important to continuously drain the melted ice water from the cooler and periodically push the ice down on the cold plate surface as it will occasionally bridge up and lose contact with the plate.

The typical 10" x 15" cold plate has 18’ of stainless steel tubing within the plate. The beer passes through this 18’ tubing and becomes chilled. Cold plate coolers are only recommended for use when the internal keg temperature can be kept colder then 55° F. In such a case, beer can be beer continuously dispensed from the faucet at 36-38° F.

Use Tips

Run beer through the system before adding ice.

Fill cooler with crushed ice.

Continuously drain melted ice water from cooler.

Periodically push ice down on Cold Plate surface (ice will occasionally bridge up and lose contact with the plate).

30-35 lbs of applied pressure is recommended. This amount of pressure is required to dispense 50-55° F beer. Less pressure is needed with colder beer.

Tapping Kits & Hoses

Be prepared: Order the tapping equipment for your party cooler. Check out our cross reference list for the right keg coupler for your beer keg.

Cleaning

A few minutes of clean up will make the next party cooler event come together fast!

Always flush the beer out of the lines and clean after use before storing your party cooler.